


Hindsight

by unoriginal_liz



Category: Malory Towers - Enid Blyton
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-05-16
Updated: 2009-05-16
Packaged: 2018-03-30 20:36:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3950878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unoriginal_liz/pseuds/unoriginal_liz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I find the idea of sucking up rather dishonest.  I'm surprised at one of the virtuous fifth formers daring to suggest such a thing."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hindsight

**Author's Note:**

> Set during 'In the Fifth at Malory Towers', post terribly exciting second form game, and pre-pantomime.

The second formers would have been very indignant to think that anyone in the school could work - they wouldn't have thought it possible, not after such a game! They headed off to the common room, chattering nineteen to the dozen, a flushed Felicity and grinning Susan leading the way.

The play, however, meant that most of the fifth formers couldn't waste a minute, so their common room was full of people learning lines, discussing costumes, talking about characters...it was difficult to believe that a few hours ago, most of them had been cheering the lower form in a match.

Darrell sat in a corner, with her sheets spread in front of her, frowning as she read through her work again. Sally smiled at her. She and Darrell had finished the script (though Sally knew it had been mostly Darrell's work), but the other girl kept looking over it and making tiny changes here and there. Sally knew it was a very good script, but Darrell never seemed satisfied. "I know it's good, I mean, everyone has said so...but I keep seeing things that could make it better," Darrell told her, rubbing her nose absently.

Sally never minded looking over Darrell's writing again, even though she never thought of anything to change. Darrell seemed glad to have someone to discuss her ideas with, and Sally liked having something they shared, just the two of them.

Darrell looked up from her work, frown still on her face. "Have you seen Mavis' first song?" she asked. "I can't see it anywhere, and I want to change one or two of the words."

Sally looked through the pile of sheets, but couldn't find it. She thought for a minute. "Irene must have it - yes, she does 0 she said something about the chords and umpty-dumpty-dumpty," Sally sang the last part.

Darrell grinned. "You're right, I remember now. She probably took it down to one of the practice rooms." She sighed and began tidying her sheets.

"I'll run down, and see if I can snatch your song away from her for a few minutes," Sally volunteered.

"Would you? You're an absolute brick. Thanks Sally!" Darrell spread the papers out in front of her again.

Sally sped down to the practice rooms, but Irene didn't seem to be there. All the rooms were empty, except for one at the far end, where someone was thumping away at the piano quite angrily - and that wasn't Irene, surely? Sally opened the door of that room, wondering who could be making such a dreadful racket, then stopped, surprised.

"June, what on earth are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" June asked rudely, banging her fingers down on the keys and making an awful jarring sound.

"You know very well that second formers are not allowed in these practice rooms," Sally said calmly, biting down on the annoyance she felt at June's cheeky tone.

June stared at her and then, with deliberate insolence that took Sally's breath away, she began to play a scale, fingers rippling quickly up and down the keys.

"But what about my practice?" she asked.

"That's not my business," Sally told her. "Clear out of here and practice at a decent time in your own practice rooms is what I'd advise. My goodness - what Alicia or Darrell would say about this I can't imagine!"

"I'm sure you'll all have a good gossip about it later," June said sulkily, gathering up her things. 

Sally looked at her, frowning. It was very hard to keep one's temper with June, who seemed to go out of her way to provoke anger. Sally was silently grateful that Darrell hadn't come across June in this mood. Who knew the fireworks that might have caused!

"Well? What is it?" June asked, standing in front of her. "How many lines must I memorise for daring to cheek one of the high and mighty fifth formers?"

June wasn't usually this rude, Sally thought. And there was something tight and pinched in her face that reminded Sally of her own miserable first year at Malory Towers.

"Why are you not in the common room, June?" she asked suddenly. "I thought all the second formers would be celebrating the big win." She stopped and looked again at the other girl, abruptly understanding.

"Why don't you buck up a little, June?" she said, as kindly as she could. "You'd make it much easier for yourself. And Darrell and Moira would be thrilled to have you on the team - if you showed a little more team-spirit."

"I don't care about being on the team," June said off-handedly. She stopped and looked at Sally in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. "And really, I find the idea of sucking up rather dishonest. I'm surprised at one of the virtuous fifth formers daring to suggest such a thing."

Sally folded her arms across her chest. "It isn't dishonest, and it isn't sucking up. It's just being respectful." Really, she thought with a sigh, it was so difficult to be nice to June!

The younger girl smiled a sharp smile and went on, voice as smooth as Alicia's when she was saying something particularly cruel and clever, "Well, I really don't think I _could_ bear to buck up for Moira's sake. And as for Darrell...well, I think it would be too crowded around her altar. I mean - you, Felicity, even Alicia...goodness, the things I heard about good old Darrell last summer."

In spite of herself, Sally felt her colour rise under June's gaze. It was very tempting to leap to conclusions, especially with June giving her that sly, self-satisfied look. It was easy to imagine Alicia and her cousin laughing at dull, jealous Sally, too mean-spirited to appreciate a joke, too unsure of herself to share Darrell with anyone. But in spite of the fact that she and Alicia had had their differences, she couldn't see Alicia being so unwise as to deliberately inform June about the fifth formers and their business. Alicia knew how dangerous June could be. 

Her lips tightened - drop hints, though, Alicia might do that. Alicia didn't care enough for anyone to guard her tongue. And of course, June being June, and much too clever for her own good, would pick up on those hints and make use of them. 

Sally held her head up and looked back at June without wavering. 

"It's very sweet of you not to mind. I'd be awfully jealous if I were her best friend. But you fifth formers are above all that, aren't you?" June paused. "Maybe I ought to do as you say. Lay a few flowers at her feet, gaze at her adoringly, stop thinking for myself and do as the Great Darrell says. Though I do agree with Alicia - it's such a pity she can't bear a bit of light-hearted fooling. Of course, _Moira_ is ten times worse" - 

Sally interrupted her, aware that she should stop the poisonous word dripping from June's lips. She had let it go on too long anyway, she scolded herself sternly. Sympathy was obviously wasted on a hard creature like June - what she wanted was taking in hand!

"Stop that right now, June Johns," she said in a firm, even tone. "I should be ashamed to say such things if I were you. But I suppose if that's what you think friendship is - sucking up and pretending and all the while thinking your own hateful thoughts...well, then, all I can do is feel sorry for you, and that's the truth!" she finished frankly.

"Don't you _dare_ feel sorry for me!" June said angrily. "I don't need any noble fifth formers looking down their noses at me and pitying the poor little second former. I tell you I won't have it! I'll show you!"

With that, she headed for the door.

"June," Sally called. June turned back, glowering. "You will learn two poems from your textbook and recite them for me or one of the other fifth formers before the end of the week. Both poems should be longer than ten lines."

June scowled. "Anything else?" she asked, "Or am I allowed to go?"

Sally waited for a minute, until she had June's attention. "That's all. But do think about what I said. It's not silliness, just common sense."

June strode away without answering. Sally sighed. June was so clever and quick - it was such a pity she didn't seem to care about anything.

When Sally made her way back to the common room, Irene was there, looking bemused.

"Where were you?" Sally asked. "I thought you were in the practice rooms."

"It was the birds," Irene said. "I could hear them outside the practice room windows, and it gave me the most marvelous idea for another piece of music. So I went into the gardens, to listen properly."

Alicia wandered over from the other side of the common room. "I think she's still hearing the birds!" she said, nudging Sally. Sally did not laugh, and Alicia raised her eyebrows.

"Where were you all this time?" Darrell asked, glancing up and smiling at Sally. Sally looked at both Alicia and Darrell - and decided not to mention June's behaviour. Darrell would be angry, and Alicia would feel annoyed and uncomfortable at being caught out by June's words. The last thing the fifth form needed was more tension, Sally decided.

"I ran into one of the second formers," she said.

"Talked your ear off about the game?" Darrell asked, grinning.

"Kids," Alicia said dismissively.

Cousins, Sally thought, but held her tongue. A day or two and the match would be forgotten, and June would calm down, she told herself. It was only a game, after all, and it wasn't as if June _cared_ \- not _really_.


End file.
